What could be better than a gorgeous window treatment that works at the touch of a button? Or even integrates with your home assistant? In the early days of motorized window treatments, the options and styles were somewhat limited but today the limits are few. You can choose from many types of window treatments and the style choices are really blossoming as well!

They are so lovely and the technology so convenient that we asked Jarmila Singer of Sound Living to share her expertise in the field with us.

Can any window treatments be motorized?

Mostly, the category is roller shades, roman shades, tensioned shades (skylight) and draperies. There are also motorized wooden blinds and horizontal sheer shades.

Is there a weight maximum?

This varies depending upon the category. For draperies, it’s about 185 pounds. For shades, the restriction is not only weight but also roll diameter due to the thickness of the fabric. So, height is a restriction that is part of this equation.

How are they powered and how do they operate?

Power can be low voltage or line voltage. Sound Living only provides low voltage shades. The third category for power is actually battery-operated shades and they are quite popular!

Serena by Lutron battery housing

Lutron Wall Station

Lutron remote control

Do they integrate with smart phones and tablets?

Yes

Are they noisy?

No! That’s the best feature of low voltage motors.

Are there other special features we should know about?

Yes, the Lutron shade motor provides IHA which is Intelligent Hembar Alignment. Basically this means that Lutron shades in the same room will move in perfect unison. Lutron is the only manufacturer that offers this important feature.

Convenience – control a large group of windows with one button, control all the shades in the home with one button, control hard to reach shades

Solar protection – art, furnishings, flooring

Room temperature control – especially for south and west exposures

Privacy – dressing, sleeping, TV viewing

What makes Sound Living the best company to install motorized window treatments?

Sound Living provides the technical shade solution, the aesthetic shade solution, and complete installation and training of the client. All three aspects are critical to a successful project. Our hands-on process of working with the interior designer and home owner is what sets us apart. We view the aesthetic shade solution (fabric selection) as the most important part of the process.

How long has Sound Living been in business and what qualifications/certifications do you have?

Sound Living has been in business for 16 years and we are certified Lutron dealers for 12 years. We are also a certified dealer of motorized window treatments with Hartmann & Forbes and Conrad, utilizing Lutron motors.

Do the motors and other hardware come with a warranty or customer support?

Sound Living provides a 1-year warranty on labor and Lutron provides an 8-year warranty on its materials.

How would clients contact your company?

Please call us in our Highland Park office at 847.926.7034.

Sound Living is a boutique consultancy in Highland Park specializing in high-end residential technology. They carry Lutron motorized shades as well as lighting control systems and other home automation solutions. Jarmila Singer is the Vice President and co-owner with Gary Singer. She has worked with motorized window treatments for 12 of her 14 years with the company. She and the rest of the staff at Sound Living have invaluable experience in the field.

Thanks Jarmila! If you want to see more options in motorized window treatments, check out our pinterest board. Click on the youtube videos embedded below to see an overview of the Serena and Sivoia lines by Lutron.

Between the hustle-bustle work world and the love-filled but hectic activities of our family lives, sometimes we just need to unplug. How many of us have staked a “no trespassing” rule around a private hour in the sanctity of our baths? Ah, the simple pleasure of a hot soak stretched out in the tub, a warm washcloth folded over your eyes, scented oils soothing both your skin and your olfactory senses – that’s a slice of paradise.

Unfortunately, anyone who has attempted to achieve that perfect soak in a traditional tub/shower combo knows it often leaves your neck at an uncomfortable angle and your legs folded up awkwardly.

Enter the freestanding tub. Large, freestanding soaking tubs are gaining popularity both for the comfort and the beauty of the designs. A gorgeous freestanding tub can be a breathtaking focal point in your bathroom design. Here are some of the best designs available in a whole range of beautiful styles and materials:

This traditional beauty from MTI Baths is gently sloped and wonderfully roomy, just right for wiling away a blissful hour gazing out the window. We just used this tub in a recent client project and it turned out heavenly. (Stay tuned for images on the finished project soon!)

Here’s a graceful Italian update to the always romantic slipper bath from Zucchettikos:

Alright, we’re not quite at flying saucers and kids in jetpacks yet, but smart home technology is getting more amazing by the day. Here’s a look at just few incredible options currently on the market you might want to consider:

Smart Appliances
More and more appliances are wifi enabled and connected to your smart phone or tablet by an app. Some even have touch screen access right on the appliance.

The Samsung Family Hub Refrigerator is not only wifi enabled, it has a screen to interact with it right on the appliance panel. You can create grocery lists, order groceries, see inside your fridge, send messages to your phone, create family calendars, share photos, and even play music or mirror a Samsung TV to the screen, all courtesy of your fridge.

Security Cameras
The Nest Cam Indoor is stepping up the security camera game. It plugs into your power so you don’t rely on batteries. It continuously records 24/7 and stores up to 30 days of footage in the cloud. It can distinguish a person from a thing and send alerts to your phone if it sees a human, or if sees activity in an area you have marked as a watch zone, like the safe or the cookie jar. A built-in speaker and mic lets you hear what is happening at home, and respond. (Just imagine, our parents could have watched and yelled at us from outside the house!)

Motorized Shades
The Lutron Sivoia QS Triathlon Motorized Shades are wireless, remote controlled shades that also work from an app on your smart phone. The come in a variety of colors, fabrics and textures to fit any decor.

Mirrors with Built-In Television
The Stanford mirror by Electric Mirror has a built-in, water-resistant TV hidden behind the mirror surface. It comes in a variety of frame options and sizes, and is designed and manufactured here in the USA.

Foot Control Faucet
Last but not least, check out this foot controlled faucet by GROHE:

For many more cool smart home options, check out our pinterest board. This board has lots of short videos like the one above that show the products in action. What are you hoping they come up with next?

I love to collaborate with other professionals in the industry. I always learn something new and truly appreciate working with specialized artisans to bring beauty and function to my clients’ homes. Recently I had the opportunity to work with Sonia and Olivier Dumont from Atelier Jouvence for a mantle in my client’s Glenview home.

My clients had decided to replace the 80’s fireplace stone wall, lower the fire box so they would no longer have a raised hearth, and looked to me to help determine what the new mantle should look like. Considering that their home has a French Chateau feeling, and knowing that they prefer simpler lines to something more embellished, I suggested a stone mantle. I immediately thought of working with Sonia and Olivier Dumont at Atelier Jouvence as I’ve known Sonia for several years through ASID’s Industry Partners program.

Working with Sonia and Olivier was a breeze for me and my clients. We quickly determined the best design for the space from Atelier Jouvence’s collection, and tweaked it based on my clients’ space. Sonia assisted us in selecting the stone to be used and Olivier consulted with us on the overall sizing, offering great suggestions for the surround and hearth. The finished mantle is absolutely beautiful and it was such a pleasure to work with a local artisan who could communicate with us to ensure we ended up with the right look. Look at this artistry:

I look forward to the next opportunity to collaborate with the very talented team at Atelier Jouvence! You can see more of their work on their website or check out our pinterest board of some of their projects.

This year’s show was amazing. It was held at the Orlando Convention Center which is huge. The show actually occupied two buildings as the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) was combined with the International Builder’s Show (IBS). Both shows occupied spaces in both buildings which were conveniently connected via a ped-way, even though they are about a mile apart. So, you can imagine- lots of walking!

Day 1: I devoted day 1 to the educational seminars offered (there were tons to choose from!) and learned about resolving difficult on-the-job problems (some new things I’ll be incorporating to assist clients in understanding the process), attended a seminar from Houzz that gave us trends to watch based on user feedback, and hiring- how to do it well. In between times, I’d run down to the show floor and visit a vendor booth or two. In the evening, there was an event honoring my friend Michael Menn, who received the honor of Remodeler of the Year from Qualified Remodeler Magazine. So cool to know a celebrity!

Day 2: Only 2 seminars today: one that discussed the physiological and psychological effects of color and one that discussed the kitchen of the future. Both were among the best that I attended. The kitchen of the future is fascinating and there will be more to come on that! Again, I spent time on the show floor, looking at great storage solutions, the “Bedroom of the Future” built by students from Virginia Tech, which was fascinating, and listened to a presentation given by some of the guys from “This Old House” about an initiative that they’re cooperating in to encourage people to go into the trades. Sadly, as our industry ages, we’re not getting young people to join the trades and are losing valuable craftspeople to create beautiful homes. This evening hosted a huge party called “The Bash” which went on until really early on Thursday! Yours truly did not attend, as I wisely sought the comfort of a good night’s sleep.

Day 3: Our shortest day- as we were flying back home and needed to get off the floor somewhat early. Just one seminar today about marrying luxury appliances in a luxury kitchen and what pitfalls to watch out for. Always good information to have! More time on the floor where I saw some amazing new fixtures for the kitchen from Pfister- like a faucet that responds to your voice! Also saw some great new options for quartz countertops- they’re getting more and more beautiful! Hope you enjoy these “moments” from the show and I look forward to delving into the latest trends in future posts!

The fourth of July is almost here and summer cookout season is in full swing. Outdoor entertaining used to revolve around a barbecue grill, a cooler full of ice for beverages and multiple trips into the house to utilize the kitchen appliances. Outdoor design options were similarly limited to rustic motifs that evoked camping experiences. Oh how times are changing! Today’s homeowners have options abounding for designing beautiful outdoor kitchens that lack only air conditioning in modern conveniences.

Check out this contemporary outdoor kitchen from Viking Range. It looks like it could practically take flight!

Besides fresh air and sunshine, outdoor kitchens can boast another advantage over indoor kitchens – mobility. If you want your outdoor appliances to be built-in features, no problem. If you prefer the ability to move your outdoor kitchen around, perhaps from patio to poolside, that’s no problem either. Here’s a perfect example from Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet. Have your old-world style pizza oven built-in or portable on a pizza oven station.

Most of us are familiar with the amazing new grills on the market today, but the outdoor cooking conveniences don’t stop there. Warming drawers, refrigerators, freezers, beverage stations, keg tappers, sinks, dishwashers, and even vent hoods are all available to create fully functional outdoor kitchens.

I just returned from a whirlwind trip to this year’s Kitchen and Bath Industry Show in Vegas with my friend and colleague Nancy Jacobson. It was 3 days of introductions to new products, educational opportunities and a bit of fun. It has been paired with the International Builder’s Show for the past several years and I was fortunate enough to be able to attend both shows.

At KBIS, I saw a bunch of new and exciting products like great storage options for cabinets, interesting exhaust hoods, fabulous new faucets and sinks and some new technology that I will be implementing in the next few weeks. On the education side, I learned about keeping up with fashion in design, what consumers want from their professionals, and how to continue to make my business better. I was also able to attend a tour of companies that offer options for helping people age in place in their homes, thanks to my friend Michael Menn. Although the days were long (but not nearly as long as the lines to the shuttle buses back to our hotels!), I enjoyed the opportunity to stay abreast of new offerings and ways of enhancing my client’s experience. I’m still working on incorporating everything I learned, but stay tuned and enjoy some of these images of the show! (For even more cool new products, see our pinterest board.)

Say goodbye to coarse feeling, industrial looking outdoor fabrics. Today’s outdoor fabrics are colorful, soft, versatile, and stunning enough to use indoors. But even as they become more beautiful, they increase in durability. Quality outdoor fabrics from brands like Sunbrella and Waverly are antimicrobial, mold and mildew resistant, sun resistant, water resistant, and hold up well under frequent cleanings.

And just look at the outdoor rooms you can create!

With design options likes these, outdoor rooms are truly an extension of your indoor living spaces.

These outdoor fabrics aren’t just for cushions either. Create gorgeous transitional spaces with outdoor drapery, a shady oasis with awnings, umbrellas, and pergolas, and bring it all together with beautiful, durable accessories like throw pillows, blankets, and rugs.

Here are just a few of the many design options available:

Bring on the sun and fun! These beautiful new looks are ready to weather the elements.

Duravit creates stunning bathroom furniture that is elegant in both form and function. Their products are offered in a variety of real wood veneer options that has been manufactured specifically for bathrooms to be resistant to water and humidity.

Focus, a sleek, modern pull-down spray faucet from Hansgrohe boasts beauty and brains for the serious cook. Features include two jet types, an ergonomic handle that can be mounted for left-handed or right-handed use, and a high spout that creates plenty of convenient space between the faucet and the sink.

Blanco created an award-winning design in their Attika undermount sink. The raised architectural rim is positively stunning while reducing splashes. An optional walnut compound cutting board is available for the 26″ single bowl model.

More gorgeous geometric angles make bold statements in Sonia’s Scalene sink base and integrated top combination. The marine-grade wood available in a variety of finishes is mounted directly to the wall and features hardware-free door fronts.